Cracking the Astrochemical Code: Molecular Spectroscopy in Support of Observational Astrophysics

The development of the next generation of astronomical instrumentation has placed molecular astrophysics research at a crossroads. The Herschel, SOFIA, and ALMA observatories are providing spectral observations that have sensitivity limits well below those of any preceding ground-based observations. These observatories are also operating at frequencies that are ideal for probing the molecular universe. The broadband spectral acquisition capabilities of these observatories will eliminate the tedious, one-line-at-a-time approach to molecular observations that has historically hampered ground-based radioastronomical identification of molecules. The ALMA observations will advance this field even further, providing highly spatially-resolved molecular information in addition to broadband spectral acquisition. The expected amount of information from these new facilities is quite daunting because the laboratory spectral database that will enable interpretation of these observations is severely lacking. Likewise, the tools needed to analyze both the laboratory and observational spectra are also lacking. Laboratory spectral surveys across the frequency ranges covered by these instruments have not been completed for even the most abundant interstellar molecules, commonly referred to as ``interstellar weeds," let alone the majority of the 170 interstellar molecules identified to date. This lack of laboratory spectral information will limit interpretation of the observational spectra, which will be near the line-confusion limit. Fortunately the hardware and technology advancements associated with the construction of these observatories has also spurred new developments in laboratory spectroscopic techniques. In this talk I will overview the current state-of-the art in molecular laboratory spectroscopic techniques used to study molecules of astrophysical interest, and will highlight recent successes in laboratory efforts that complement new astronomical observations. I will also discuss the remaining needs for molecular spectroscopic information to support observational astrophysics.